Yard sale frenzy can pay off

Tuesday

Jun 24, 2014 at 1:00 PM

The time to simplify life and clear out the clutter strikes every homeowner from time to time.For some, the desire seldom comes, for with it is the reality of a lot of work and time into something that may or may not pay off.Weather can make or break oneís endeavors because keeping stuff dry under cloudy skies can be a challenging and daunting task. And even if you are in your garage, chances are few will venture out unless they really want something you have.Last weekend, Hillsdale city-wide garage sales could be counted on both hands according to a map in last Wednesdayís newspaper. Stretching from Griswold Street out to Bunn Road, there seemed to be "plenty for the pickiní" for weekend shoppers.Driving down Bacon Street Saturday morning I could see some were getting a slow morning start of pulling tarps off tables in case a surprise shower popped up. As it turned out, Saturday was beautiful and sales went on as planned. The one on Bunn Road Saturday even caused some traffic to slow due to numerous cars parked along the roadside.Though my basement could use some weeding out, the need to have a garage sale hasnít struck yet this summer. I have to weigh the pros and cons and find a date when rain wonít dampen the effort. (Iím not usually a multi-day seller as I lose patience with the whole deal easily).There are plenty of pros and cons to having garage sales and much to learn from each one. As a rule, Iíve found that advertising does pay off.But selling bits and pieces of oneís life is not easy; even the clutter isnít really clutter. It defines a place and time in your life, so its history is sometimes hard to part with.Seeing your sonís first t-ball bat or daughterís first doll on the selling table gives you a panic attack of knowing that part of life is in the past. So you quickly make a sanity check and whisk the precious items back in the house where they are secure.As each item is sold, I watch it disappear under the arm of the buyer and mourn its departure. I have instant flash backs to when I sat and played with the item with my child for hours, or dressed them in the adorable outfits.Hardest to sell were the little dresses, some handmade with hours of labor involved ó all sold for pennies. This is why it is pertinent to include the whole family when selling items. When the kids were still around, they were like mini customer service representatives, showing people how to install batteries and what buttons to push to make their toys work.My husband remembers when his favorite bike was sold out from under him as a child. Those memories forever linger.On the other hand, stuff is just stuff. I like to look back on when I found myself giving away coats for children at a church and made a deal to have a box of toys loaded off for the same church. Thatís a cool feeling knowing that others will get to enjoy the items youíve outgrown.Making a buck isnít the only advantage to having garage sales. Thereís much to be gained. Above all, we can all look forward to the future by smiling back on the past, knowing our stuff is somewhere, making others happy.Nancu Hastings is a staff writer for the Hillsdale Daily News. Email her at nhastings@hillsdale.net.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.